Relay



R. E. DE CAMP.

RELAY. v

APPLICATION FILED AUGJS, 1918- 1,892,251. v I PatentedSept.- 27,1921.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Z2. Ray [Ie [amp my ATITORNEY UNITED STATES PATENToF-nca,

RAY E. DE CAMP, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 27; 1921.

Application filed. August 26, 1918. SerialNo. 251,430.

to relays that are particularly adapted for unit-switch-control systems.

My invention is of the same, general char actor as that formingthesubject-matter of my coo-pending application for current-limit relay,Serial No. 24t1,259, filed June 21, 1918,

in which the actuation of an armature bya magnetic field set up bycurrent flowing through a coil compresses a spring which thereuponpermits another spring to'actuate a second armature at the proper time.in

by means of a nut 8 opposition to the force of the said field. Thepresent invention relates to a relay which diflfers ina number .ofparticulars from that of my copendil g application.

The relay is retained in its'inoperative posi-.

tion by a compression spring which assists the electromagnet whenthelatter is energized. When the electromagnet is ener gized, a second andstronger spring, which is placed under compression, tends to close therelay. The latter closes when the force exerted by the relatively strongspring ex-' cecds the combined forces of the magnet and the relativelyweak spring.

The single figure of the drawing is a side elevation of my modifiedrelay;

The insulating panel 1 carries brackets 2 and 3 supporting a coil 4:which, when energized by current flowing through it, cre-, ates amagnetic field for attracting two ar-' matures 5 and 6. A compressionspring 7 is mounted upon a non-magnetizable rod 8 and the force exertedby it may be adjusted The rod 8 is slidably mounted in projections 9 and10 which are rigidly connected to, or are integral parts of, the bracket3. The projection 9 serves also as a pole piece of the coil for thearmature 5, while the projection 10 is directly mounted upon thepanel 1. One end of the rod 8 projects through an opening in thearmature 6 and is provided with an abutment or stop;? 11 for normallyengaging this armature. he spring 7 thus, 1n co6peration with theabutment 11, normally maintains the armature 6 and the rod 8 in therelative positions illustrated.

One end of the armature 5 is provided with ears 13 which are pivotallymounted upon a shaft 14: secured to the bracket 2. A spring 14* isconnected, at one end, to a member 2 secured to the bracket 2,.and,-at

the other end, to a member 15'that is adjustably mounted upon thearmature 5. The sprlng 141: thus tends to maintain the armature .5 inthe position illustrated, out. of

contact with the rod; 8. I a a The other end of the bracket2 carries anon-magnetizable U-shaped member 16 .in the arms of which is'mounted ashaft 17 to serve'as a pivotal support for the armature 6. The armature6 may normally be maintained in engagement with a member 12, secured toan interior portion of an opening in the bracket 3 by a weak spring18,or, if the relay is so mounted that the panel .l'is above the otherparts", the armature 6 will be maintained by gravity in the. positionillustrated, in which event, the spring-18 may be omitted. The member 12is made of nonmagnetizable material to prevent freezing. e p

A magnetizable member 19 is supported between the arms ofthe U-shapedmember 16 andiis longitudinally adjustable to vary the size of the gap20 between its inner end and the adjacent end 21015 the armature 6. Thefree end of the armature 6 carriesja contact member 24., which isadapted to cotiperate with a stationary contact member 26 ber 26. If thecurrent is above a previously selected safe value, the force of the mag?netic field upon the armature 6, combined with that of the spring 18,predominates o er the rce of the sp 7 and he a ms follows: Upon curturewill remain in engagement with the member 12. The ratio of the forceexerted by the magnetic field to that exerted by the spring may bevaried by adjusting the nut 8 or the member 19, or both. When thecurrent falls to the selected safe value, the spring 7 will move thearmature 6, in opposition to the diminished force oi the magnetic fieldand that of the spring 18, to cause the engagement of the contactmembers 2% and 26. In the event that the magnetic field becomes tooweal; to maintain the armature 5 in engagement with the pole piece 9,the spring 14 will actuate the armature 5 into the illustrated position.This movement is aided by the spring 18, which effects thedisengagementof the contact members 2% and As in Fig. 4 of theabove-mentioned application, the armature 5 may be provided with anextension 37, preferably of insulating material, which carries a switchmember 38 for cooperating with one or more stationary switch members 89and 5a for a pur pose fully explained in my aforementioned application.7 V

If desired, the armature 5 may be designed to control a plurality ofarmatures 6, as in my aforesaid application. Other changes will beapparent to those skilled in the art. I desire, therefore, that theappended claims be construed broadly.

I claim as invention:

1. The combination with means for creating a magnetic field and a pairof armatures adapted to be actuated by the force of said field, of arelatively strong spring for actuating one of said armatures inopposition to said force, a relatively weak spring for assistingthe'force of said magnetic field to retain said one armature in itsinoperative position and means for compressing the first-named spring torender it eii'ective upon the actuation of said other armature.

2. The combination with a coil and an armature therefor, of ,a movablemember, a stop member therefor, a relatively weak spring for biasingsaid movable member toward said stop member, and a relatively strongspring, said armature beind adapted to cause said second spring toactuate said movable member against the force of the first-named spring.

3. In a switch mechanism, a bracket, a pair of members independentlypivoted thereto, means -for biasing said members to their inoperativepositions, a third member slidably connected to one member of said pair,a spring for maintaining said slidably connected members in engagement,and means for attracting said pair of members, the other member of saidpair being adapted to thereupon interrupt said engagement in oppositionto the force of said spring.

l. The combination with a. switch member and a relatively weak springtending to retain said member in its inoperative position, oi a coil forretaining said member in its in operative position so long as said coilis energized above a predetermined degree, an armature member controlledby said coil, and a relatively strong spring controlled by said armaturemember to actuate said switch member.

5. The combination with a switch member having pivotal support at oneend thereof, of a coil for retaining said switch member in itsinoperative position so long as said coil is energized above apredetermined value, a spring for assisting the force of said coil, amember yieldingly connected to said switch member, an armature memberfor actuating said yielding-connected member, and a second spring forbiasing said armature member to its inoperative position.

'6. The combination with an energizing coil and two armaturememberscontrolled in accordance with the degree of energization of saidcoil, of a spring for biasing each or" said armature members to theirrespective inoperative positions, a member tlor' engaging one of saidarmature members, and a spring tending to maintain the engagement ofsaid members, one of said armature members operating to place saidspring under stress to ellect the disengagement of said members and toeffect the actuation of the other armature member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd dayof August, 1918.

- RAY E. DE CAMP.

